Hanoi (VNA) – The signing of a framework
agreement on credit cooperation between the Vietnamese and Hungarian
Governments is an important landmark in the two countries’ diplomatic
activities this year.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham
Binh Minh made the comment during a meeting in Hanoi on January 11 with
Balogh Csaba, Minister of State at Hungary’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Trade.

Minh highly valued the two Governments’ efforts
in speeding up the finalisation of this agreement, which is worth 440 million
EUR. He said the deal is a good preparation for an official visit to Vietnam
slated for April by Hungarian PM Viktor Orban.

With this framework agreement, the two sides
will implement many cooperation projects in the spheres of Hungary’s strength
and Vietnam’s demand such as water resources management, wastewater treatment,
information technology, cyber security and health care, he noted.

He also spoke highly of cooperation mechanisms
at all levels between the two countries, adding that a vice speaker of
Hungary’s parliament will visit Vietnam in mid-January and his country also is
ready to welcome the Hungarian PM this April.

He added bilateral trade remains low and is yet
to match the countries’ potential and expectations. Hence, it is necessary to
review the implementation of the minutes of the sixth session of their joint
committee on economic cooperation so as to design new cooperation programmes in
preparation for the seventh session, scheduled for March in Hungary.

At the meeting, the officials also acknowledged
the role of Vietnamese people who were trained in Hungary in bolstering
bilateral ties and mutual understanding.-VNA